Azkals to re-strategize vs Myanmar

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will be closing out its Suzuki Cup group stage campaign against the unheralded Myanmar this Friday, but Azkals coach Michael Weiss said it won’t be an easy game.

In fact, the German football mentor said they will be using a different game plan when they tackle the Myanmar White Angels at the Supachalasai Stadium in Bangkok.

“We have to re-strategize for our next match and I would like to point out that Myanmar are not the weakest team in the group,” Weiss said in Asean Football following the Azkals’ 1-0 win over Vietnam on Tuesday.

The Filipinos, who opened its Suzuki Cup campaign with a 2-1 loss to host team Thailand, will need a win against Myanmar for at least a second-place finish in the group stage.

Thailand currently leads Group A with six points on two wins (each win is equal to three points), followed by the Azkals with three points on one win and one defeat.

Vietnam is tied with Myanmar with one point each. Both Vietnam and Myanmar suffered a draw and a loss.
The two teams with the highest number of points after the group stage will advance to the Cup’s semifinals or the Knockout Stage.

Weiss said the Azkals’ win against 2008 titlist Vietnam has given his boys a psychological edge going into their match against Myanmar.

“It was a fantastic performance and we are back in the race. We now play a strong Myanmar side and hopefully we can reach the semifinals,” the coach said.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Azkals no longer Suzuki Cup underdogs

As the Philippine national men’s football team is set to face regional powerhouses Vietnam and Thailand in the group stages of the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup, it would be easy to conclude that the nationals are, once again, underdogs in the tournament.

After all, the Azkals are coming off just their first semifinal stint in history in the 2010 edition of the tournament, paving the way for the skyrocketing popularity of the sport in the country. Vietnam and Thailand, meanwhile, have already won Suzuki Cup titles in the past and have been considered as the top teams in Southeast Asia.

But former national team coach Aris Caslib believes that the underdog tag is a thing of the past for the nationals, saying that the team has vastly improved. In fact, the Azkals have been the busiest team in the region, playing in over 20 competitive matches since their 2010 semifinal run.

“It’s 2012, it’s completely different,” said Caslib, who failed to steer the nationals past the group stages of the 2007 edition of the tournament after failing to win any matches.

Caslib remains confident that the Azkals have an edge against Vietnam after their 2-0 upset two year ago, and Thailand, who the nationals last faced in a 4-0 loss 2007.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami agreed with Caslib, even declaring that the Philippines are now among the favorites to win the title.

“We’re not coming in as a surprise team anymore. We’re coming in as one of the favorites,” Palami said. “Everyone wants to beat us.”

Palami, however, admitted that overcoming this huge challenge won’t be that easy.

“We need to back up our words by complete preparation,” Palami said. “(That’s why the team is having) tough camps, tough games against tough teams.”

Aside from Vietnam and Thailand, the Azkals are also drawn with the top team from the tournament qualifiers in Group A. Meanwhile, Group B features defending champions Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the runner-up of the qualifiers.

Slated from Nov. 24 to Dec. 22, the 2012 Suzuki Cup will be co-hosted by Malaysia and Thailand and will be aired on AKTV.

source: interaksyon.com